Enrollment
791
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Scottsdale, AZ
Desert Shadows Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Desert Shadows Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 040593000479
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Shadows Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Arizona schools.
- #7 of 7
- middle schools in Scottsdale · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.8:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 5.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Shadows Middle School has class sizes larger than 80% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Shadows Middle School ranks #7 of 7 middle schools in Scottsdale, AZ.
School address
District: Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) · Arizona
NCES ID 040593000479 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.8:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
5.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-90% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Shadows Middle School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Shadows Middle School
Desert Shadows Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Scottsdale, Arizona, enrolling 791 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 5.0% free-meal eligibility runs 90% below the Arizona average.
Enrollment of 791 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 160 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #112.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 396 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) also operates Pinnacle High School (2,430 students) and Paradise Valley High School (1,900 students) alongside Desert Shadows Middle School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Desert Shadows Middle School compares
Desert Shadows Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.8:1 | ▲ 22% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 5.0% | ▼ 90% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 791 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.8:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
791
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
5.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 90% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.8:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 80% in Arizona - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
52.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,154
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 396 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 82 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 69.2%
Hispanic or Latino 17.6%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 3.3%
African American 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 69.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.4, Desert Shadows Middle School is about as mixed as the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Paradise Valley Unified District (4241), which includes Desert Shadows Middle School.
$11,154
Per student
-15%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.8%
State 27.3%
Federal 14.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Desert Shadows Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinnacle High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paradise Valley High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Horizon High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Canyon High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Shadow Mountain High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Shadows Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,430
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,767
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,560
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,080
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~791 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Shadows Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Desert Shadows Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Paradise Valley Unified District (4241)'s spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Desert Shadows Middle School
How many students attend Desert Shadows Middle School?
Desert Shadows Middle School has 791 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Scottsdale, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Shadows Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Shadows Middle School is 20.8:1, which is 22% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert Shadows Middle School?
5.0% of students at Desert Shadows Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Shadows Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Desert Shadows Middle School is White at 69.2% of enrollment, in Scottsdale, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Shadows Middle School?
Desert Shadows Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Desert Shadows Middle School rank among middle schools in Scottsdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Shadows Middle School ranks #7 of 7 middle schools in Scottsdale, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Scottsdale on the city page.
Is Desert Shadows Middle School a good school?
Desert Shadows Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Arizona schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Paradise Valley Unified District (4241)?
Besides Desert Shadows Middle School, Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) also operates Pinnacle High School (2,430 students), Paradise Valley High School (1,900 students), and Horizon High School (1,767 students). See the Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.